History

On April 24, 1986, 35 public purchasing professionals from the Dallas/Fort Worth area gathered in a back room of a cafeteria on Highway 183 to form a local support group for governmental buyers. Members of the National Purchasing Institute (NPI) Board of Directors and NPI Executive Director J. Nelson Slater provided the leadership.

In an historic move, these 35 professionals established the very first local chapter of NPI. In the months that followed, officers were elected, dues were set, and meeting dates and formats were established.

Membership grew rapidly as word spread that the Dallas/Fort Worth area had a purely public purchasing association. As members from outside the immediate DFW area joined this association, the geographic scope changed to reflect North Central Texas. Thus, the official name chosen by the group was the Public Purchasing Association of North Central Texas (PPANCT).

Since PPANCT's inception, other NPI chapters have been established. Each chapter provides education, information and valuable networking opportunities for public purchasing professionals.

We are grateful to our founders, past presidents and boards of directors for providing a strong foundation for PPANCT's continuing success.

About the National Procurement Institute

The National Procurement Institute, Inc. (NPI) is the public sector affiliate of the Institute for Supply Management. Founded in 1968, NPI is designed to establish cooperative relationships among its members and to develop efficient purchasing methods and practices in the areas of governmental, educational, and institutional procurement. Its mission is to facilitate the educational and professional development of its members.

Visit the NPI website.